produce - Eurofresh Distribution

98
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
2 0 0 8
uNited StateS
argeNtiNa
EUROFRESH
DISTRIBUTION arouNd the world
lemoN
The world lemon crop is estimated at 8 million tonnes (excluding
limes). The world trade in lemons is around 1. million tonnes. The
major growing countries are Argentina, Spain and Turkey, for lemons.
Mexico, Brazil and Peru are the main lime growers. China and
India also grow lemons and limes.
In California, a maturing technique called
‘curing’ gives a top-of-the-range lemon that
is synonymous with greater value added.
The method consists in storing the lemons
at a temperature of between 12.8 and 1 .
ºC with to 8 % relative humidity. This
improves the lemons’ resistance to transportinduced
deterioration. This ‘curing’ gives the
lemons a smoother, thinner skin and a more
uniform colour.
mexico aNd Brazil
There are two major limegrowing
countries: Mexico
grows 1.9 million tonnes and
Brazil 1 million. These two
countries supply the world
market, which is growing.
Indeed, their exports have
practically doubled in ten
years. The Unites States is
the top importing market in
the world and Mexico is its
main supplier. The secondlargest
market is Europe, with
80% Brazilian lime imports.
At 1. million tonnes, Argentina is the
top world grower of yellow lemons.
Traditionally geared to processing,
the Argentine lemon sector has also
been exporting fresh fruit to Northern
Hemisphere markets for some years
now. The lemon growing area is in the
north-west of the country, mainly in
the province of Tucuman. The crop
is made up of four main varieties:
Eureka, Limoneira, Lisbon and Genova.
Harvesting is spread out from May to
September. Exports start from March
onwards.
italy
SPaiN
A crop estimated at slightly over 1 million tonnes
places Spain as the second-ranking yellow lemon
growing country in the world. The orchards are
concentrated in the province of Murcia and the
south of Alicante province. The Fino or Primofiori
variety constitutes 0% of the orchards. Spain is the
top world exporter but is suffering from an overproduction
crisis at the moment. The fresh market
is in recession in Western Europe and Argentine
competition is making itself felt. The Spanish lemon
sector also encounters competition from Turkey on
the Eastern European markets.
In Italy, the lemon orchards cover
a little over 0,000 hectares. They
are located essentially in Sicily. The
varieties grown are Feminello and
Monachello. With a crop of slightly
more than 00,000 tonnes, Italy is not
in the top ranks of exporting countries.
It would seem that the profile of the
orchards (small production units) and
the production costs being too high
are penalizing this sector. The Italian
lemon sector is more geared to niche
strategies (organic, etc.).
iSrael
The Israeli lemon crop
is no more than 0,000
tonnes. Almost 90% are
sold for local consumption.
With Villafranca as
its main lemon variety,
Israel exports none or
very little. This variety
seems to be less appreciated
than others on the
European market.
euroPeaN uNioN
The highest per capita lemon consumption, 2.9
kg/year, is in the ‘old’ European Union (the EU-1 ).
In the 12 new member states it is only 1.9 kg/year.
In Russia the consumption per person is 1.
kg/year, in the USA it is 1.2 kg/year and in Japan,
0. kg/year. These figures give a better idea of
why the main lemon exporters, Spain, Turkey and
Argentina, are dependant on the EU market and its
fluctuations.
turkey
Turkey is now the world’s thirdbiggest
grower of yellow lemons
( 00,000 to 800,000 tonnes). It is
also one of the main movers on the
world market. 0% of the orchards
are in the south-east of the country,
in the Mersin area. The main variety
is Kütdiken ( 0% of the crop).
Interdonato is the early variety that
makes up 2 % of the crop.